When the travel bug bites
by Addy01
Summary: Lost in the road of life, Shinichi starts travelling and discovers hilarious YouTube vloggers, Instagram, and a world outside of Murders and Mysteries. Along the way, he makes friends with Google and Kaitou KID. And Kaito? He just wants a friend in Shinichi. Poirot Café 6-8k Comp #3: Travel. Two-shot. Beta'd by Semi-Retired Writer
1. Chapter 1

When the Travel Bug Bites

By Addy01

 _Summary: Lost in the road of life, Shinichi starts travelling and discovers hilarious YouTube vloggers, Instagram, and a world outside of Murders and Mysteries. Along the way, he makes friends with Google and Kaitou KID; and finally understands why his parents left Japan to travel all those years ago. On the other side, Kaito just wants a friend in Shinichi. For Poirot Café 6k-8k Writing Comp #3: Travel. Two-shot._

 _Note: Special Thanks to Semi-Retired Writer for being such an awesome Beta! Special Thanks to Boogum for providing wonderful inputs so that the story actually flows rather than becoming into a half-a** pathetic work with OOC! Check out their profiles on FFN!_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 1

Shinichi couldn't breathe; his chest constricted with unexplained anxiety. There was a low, volcanic rumble within him, threatening to rise and overwhelm him.

Goosebumps rose on his skin as a cold chill encased him, leaving him exhausted and creating havoc throughout his body. Despite knowing he was in the vast Kudou Mansion, he felt trapped, almost claustrophobic.

As time went on, it had become increasingly difficult to withstand these…attacks. They blinded him, restricted him, forcefully directed all of his focus to the panic as it slowly but surely encompassed him.

He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. He just knew he had to get away.

* * *

Arriving at the airport, he had asked for the very first flight out of Japan, which turned out to be to South Korea.

There hadn't been much of a plan due to this state of trepidation, which had made his only thoughts those that focused on the fastest possible route of escape.

It wasn't until he was seated on a bench at the park near his hotel that his mind allowed him to reach a calmer state. His feet had led him here from his aimless wandering around the city. His dazed eyes weren't taking in any of the view, his mind obviously occupied to anyone who passed by.

Dysphoria still lingered in his system, as if waiting to consume him again when he was least prepared for it and his thoughts were still a mangled mess.

 _That had been reckless and irresponsible of him_ , taking off the way he had.

' _I should have told someone...Or written a note...or something._ '

However, having his phone in his hand, he didn't make any move to contact anyone. Occasionally, the thought to let his friends know what had happened crossed his mind, but those thoughts left him as quickly as his _anxiety_ took over again, and once again, he was trapped in his whirlwind of scattered thoughts and depression.

Shinichi felt trapped. For the first time in his life, he was left without a direction, a purpose. All of his energy and excitement for his work and for mysteries had suddenly evaporated as the heaviness descended into his heart, weighing him down like countless boulders on his shoulders. It felt if he was being grinded down slowly...so slowly, that he hadn't noticed until he was already gone.

He didn't know how long he sat there, his mind abandoning him in his woefulness and abjection, but he did know that it was a scream piercing through the air that brought him out of his stupor.

Shinichi had reacted on instincts honed through years of charging into danger and leaped out of the bench, ( _God, he wasn't ready for this. Not yet. So why was he reacting like this?!_ ) bracing himself for the mystery once more.

But all the people were scurrying away… from a puppy?

A puppy that couldn't be more than six months old, was being walked on a leash by a couple . With his tongue hanging to the side and his tail wagging with excitement, it was the epitome of fluffiness and cuddle. Shinichi could see reason to fear it.

Yet, the crowd reacted like they had seen a corpse, scuttling back, keeping their distance. _'And I should know,after seeing those bloody curses everywhere…'_

Despite the juxtaposition - _or perhaps it was because of it, if he was honest),_ Shinichi was intrigued, though it was accompanied by _self-loathing, condemnation and disparagement_ for ' _not being able to leave a God-damn mystery alone for once!'_

He started typing the enquiry on his phone, operating on autopilot at this point, his mind starting to drfit back once again to the depressed hazed state. _'Focus, Shinichi! Focus!'_

Distracted by his internal turmoil, he hadn't realised where his search had led him until a video started playing in the background and making its way into his consciousness:

"…I entered the lift with my dog, Snuggles, where my neighbour from the ninth floor was already in. Like, usually, I'll carry Snuggles to put my neighbours at ease, but today I didn't bother, I was so sick of them treating dogs like a freak or something! And Snuggles was just seating there on the floor, staring at my neighbour, and she just suddenly backed into the wall and started climbing on to the handrail…."

Struck by the ridiculousness of the video, Shinichi couldn't contain his mirth, and a giggle escaped from his lips.

He didn't know what he actually found funny in the video. Nonetheless, his giggles became a full blown laughter, and not long after, as if the dam had finally, _finally_ , burst, his laughter turned into hysterical sobs.

He was finally able to let it all out.

* * *

It was probably the accumulation of years of stress - _guilt, anger, regret_ \- bottled up inside that led him to this moment.

After the fall of The Organisation and upon returning to his original body, Shinichi immediately turned all his attention to catching up on school and later, work, trying his best to re-build his life that was left in shambles. However, the equilibrium he'd been trying to return to was always slightly beyond his reach.

Maybe it was the disconnect he had with his peers that only widened after the experience he had gone through. Or perhaps it was the overwhelming need to constantly be useful, a sense left over from his time as Conan, when he'd always felt limited and constrained by his situation.

Or the fact that he was subconsciously trying to erase the two years he was trapped in a child's body, willing it to disappear, trying to wash away his mistakes and rewind the clock.

He hadn't let himself rest, punishing himself for the mistakes made as a folly teen and chasing blindly after a goal that remained elusive _, because he had no idea what was it he was actually running towards in the first place_.

' _Maybe that was my mistake',_ he mused, now that the waterworks had finally ceased and his mind was clearer than it had been in months. _He hadn't realised that he was drowning, gasping for air,'_

Shinichi sighed, catching his breath and clearing his thoughts once more.

' _Guess I can google for a place to eat,'_ he thought, turning his attention to the sky, which had turned pitch dark, and opening up a browser in his phone _. 'Now, which suburb am I in again?'_

* * *

He ended up staying in Korea for a week.

After he finished his first dinner recommended by a nifty app he found called Zomato, he contemplated on his situation and decided he _needed_ to stay away from Japan for a while.

By then, Shinichi's phone had buzzed continuously with the influx of messages and calls. Concerns about him not turning up for his appointments had led to a full-blown panic that had gotten the police involved.

He hadn't been aware of alarm he had caused. Well, he was aware of it, but it just hadn't really registered in his mind till he finally took note of the avalanche of panicked calls and messages that piled up during dinner.

A quick call to Meigure-Keibu immediately resolved the situation. However, the Inspector's understanding and empathic response, rather than the tongue-lashing that Shinichi had been bracing himself for, had sent even more alarm bells.

He may have been more of a mess that he had initially thought, especially since Meguire-Keibu implied that his…breakdown… was a long time coming, advising him to " _just take as long as you need, Kudo-kun_."

If he really was in such a bad state…even if he hadn't wanted to run away, Shinchi would need to find a way to…'fix' himself somehow.

Without much of an itinerary, he had taken to continue aimlessly roaming around the city, taking his time to contemplate on his life and the choices he had made so far.

Shinichi hadn't made much headway to his situation, other than that the realisation that _he was a total idiot_. He may have stumbled upon the root of his problem, but he was nowhere near a solution.

 _He wasn't ready to go back yet….No, he wasn't ready for Japan yet._

So, on the last day, he booked a flight to Hawaii.

* * *

Surfing had been … a total flop, and in more than one way. Google had lured him to take up the sport (the scenic, photoshopped pictures on the tourism website had been rather alluring), and Shinichi thought that a change of pace could do wonders to his mood.

Maybe he should have done something else on hindsight.

He had hoped the strenuous activity could distract him from his relentless, self-deprecating thoughts for a while, but it just compounded the feeling of _uselessness_ and _frustration_ that started plaguing him again since he left Korea.

Just as he planned to throw in the towel and call it a day, a very familiar voice called out him.

"Yo! Tantei-kun! You need to widen your footing to get your balance right! Otherwise, you'll just keep falling!"

Jerking with surprise, Shinchi turned around. He was not expecting to hear any Japanese while he was there, much less someone calling him _that_ nickname – _and_ _there's only one person who ever calls him that_ \- and was met with a pair of indigo eyes that he'd recognise anywhere.

"K-kaitou K-KID! W-what are you doing here?" He exclaimed, unable to contain the shock in his voice.

The last time he'd met KID was like all his meetings with the thief since the fall of the organization, with the thief was waiting by his bedside window to passed his birthday wishes and vanishing as quickly as he'd come.

To be meeting him out in the open like this…

"And hello to you too~, wasn't expecting you to be here as well. I am here for work and was just taking a break…And lo and behold, look what I found! And my, I have to say this: You look very dashing in that surf suit, Mentantei~."

"…What kind of job exactly?" Shinichi quirked his eyebrow in question, ignoring the flirtatious comment altogether. He was long used to this treatment; _time hadn't tamed the thief's flirtatious tendencies in the least._

"Silly Tantei-kun, I assure you, my visit here is purely legitimate…. and legal."

"…"

"Besides, my night-time persona hasn't been active in years, Tantei-kun. You know that~!"

There was a pause as Shinichi narrowed his eyes, before finally conceding, "Alright, was just surprise to see you here."

"Hmmm, looks like a critic's always going to be a critic," Kid let out a melodramatic sigh, before quickly turning it into a smirk that had set Shinichi instinctively (more out of habit really) on edge. "Anyway, if you could spare the time, I'll be performing at that hotel tonight." He gestured to the hotel behind himself with a flourish. "Do drop by. I would love to entertain my favourite critic again after all this time~!"

Then Kid walked away, back towards the hotel. But not before turning back and shouting at the top of his lungs, in English this time.

"Remember! Keep those nice and supple legs of your wide open!~" and promptly disappeared into the crowd.

"…"

What wouldn't Shinchi do to get ground to swallow him up whole right now.

* * *

His name was Kaito. Kuroba Kaito.

After all those years of trying to pry it out of the thief, it was really weird to have Kaitou KID's name handed to him on a platter just like that.

Or in this case, it was served on a brightly-lighted, neon signboard, with a cartoon caricature of magician that's not unlike KID's old signature.

It was clear for all to see, displayed right outside of the restaurant where the magic show was hosted. Shinichi pondered on KID and his eccentricities as he took a seat at the very back of the restaurant. (It was a full house, and he came just in time to grab the last seat available.)

Kaitou KID had helped with the demise of the Black Organisations, motivated by Snake being in the league with the syndicate, and since then, they kept periodic contact.

Or rather, KID had taken to visiting Shinichi whenever he felt like it. Once a year, on the anniversary of the arrest of the crows at the roof of the Kudo Mansion; and for any major events or achievements in Shinichi's life that KID felt had warranted a visit. _Graduation, birthdays, a trip to the ER…_

 _And one memorable moment where KID had sought Shinichi out because the love of his life abandoned him_ … that had been really weird, and Shinich would rather not think about it…

These meetings were always short, sporadic and to the point, and always felt more like obligatory catch up sessions than anything (or it was on Shinichi's part, seeing as how the ex-thief never stayed no more than a minute each time).

Now though, it seemed KID was aiming to change that, bumping (it's never a coincidence with KID) into him in broad daylight and inviting him to his magic show.

There had been excited chatters about the up-and-coming (and law-abiding) magician at the precinct when Kuroba Kaito made his debut. (Shinichi, obviously, hadn't been paying attention then - swarmed with a triple homicide that may be the works of a serial killer instead - or he would have found out about KID's identity much, much earlier.)

According to Shinichi's quick Google search, the magician had taken the world by storm with his revolutionary performances and had been crowned the greatest magician the world had seen since Kaitou KID.

 _Oh, the irony!_

The lights dimmed at that point, pulling Shinichi away from his thoughts, and the Hawaii-themed magic show began. Who would have thought that the performance hadn't turned out as cliche as it sounded despite it involving pineapples, hula hoops and surfboards…

Well… it's _Kaitou KID_ they were talking about.

"Glad you came, Tantei-kun~" The performance had ended, and Shinichi, absorbed in working out some of the more complex tricks - and in awe of the performance, not that he'll ever tell KID- hadn't noticed the magician's approach.

"Hope you don't mind me joining you for dinner." Pulling out a seat for himself, KID sat down as the waiters placed their meal on the table.

"Well, with the way you've presumptuously taken your seat, it looks like I won't be able to get rid of you anyway…"

"Bingo! You know me so well~! Let's get started then, shall we?"

"Get started with what, exactly?" Shinichi asked, without missing a beat, and started slicing through his fish and chips (Zomato had recommended it, they were by the ocean after all).

"Ask questions, getting to know one another. You know, the whole shebang..." Kuroba speared his fork into his steak, and started sawing through it. _W_ _asn't Shinichi glad he hadn't ordered the steak in the end_...

"…is that really what this is all about?" _'You meeting me out in the open and finally revealing your identity to me…'_

"Of course it is, what else could it be…not everything I do has an ulterior motive… Well, not anymore anyway."

"… I never know with you." _'Like how I never know why you visited all those times.'_

"Oh! It hurts, right here, Tantei-kun~." His mocking expression transformed to that of a wince as he bit into the steak, before continuing, "But really, that's all there is. I'll even let you have first go with the questions.~"

Shinichi paused…. He _had_ a lot of questions. _Like why did KID always sought him out in the first place; why was he trusting Shinichi with his identity now of all times; what was with the visits…_

You know, the usual, normal questions any sane person would ask given the opportunity.

So, Shinichi was mortified when another question that had been on his mind escaped his lips instead.

"Okay. Well, it's been bugging me the whole afternoon… but is Kuroba Kaito just your stage name? I mean, it's not really your real name, is it? The Magic Cafe Forum has been debating about it for quite a while now, and no one seem to be able to confirm anything…"

KID blinked his eyes in astounishment…and then, as if he finally registered the question, started laughing, _hard_ , to the point where the table started shaking. A couple heads had even turned, curious to see what the commotion was about.

"Well, well. That was very unexpected of you." KID managed to wheeze out a while later, after getting his laughter under control. "Seems like you're still able managed to surprise me after all these years, and I thought I had seen it all!"

"Oh, shut up." A blush creeped onto his face, embarrassed.

 _What? He had really been curious about it._

* * *

Yes, his name was really Kuroba Kaito, he couldn't help that his father had a sense of humour. Yes, he had been working as a magician since his very last heist, he hadn't considered any other career alternatives. He didn't need to.

Yes, Shinichi (" _Oh, still such a critic_ , _Tantei-kun._ ") was spot on with his deductions on the magic tricks, except the last one, the detective would need to think about it a little more.

And No, he'll stick with his overcooked steak, thank you very much. Shinchi can keep his own f-f-dish to himself.

While Shinichi had initially intended to gloss over the reason for his trip to Hawaii, sometime during the course of the conversation, a slip of a tongue (or was it the magician's ability to manoeuvre the conversation) had him admitting his "predicament" to Kaito (who had insisted on being called by his first name, what with their shared experience and all; and had taken to turning temporary deaf if Shinichi had called him by anything else).

Not in so many words, but enough for the magician to get the gist of it.

He had been understanding, hadn't pried any more than Shinichi was willing to reveal, and gave some parting advice before moving on to other topics:

 _Seems like it's a good time as any for you to take a break._

The rest of his conversation with the magician had been _easy_. By the end of the evening, his shoulders had slacked ever so slightly, his breathing leveled, and even though the topics they had discussed were light, Shinichi had felt some weight fell off his shoulders. _When was the last time Shinichi had just… relaxed?_

Shinichi had intended to return to Japan after his stay in Hawaii, but maybe he could consider extending his travels just a little bit longer.

With that shift in mindset, he had taken Google's recommendations (of the top ten things to do in Hawaii) like a duck to water, and spent the rest of his two weeks in Hawaii relaxing and enjoying himself.

The pictures on the pamphlets and online didn't do justice to the underwater view he was treated to while scuba diving. And his suntanning session allowed him to explore the wonders of youtube. Most of his attention drifted through other hilarious youtube vloggers and cute cat videos. As the sun's rays beat down on his skin, he wiggled and sank into the sand until it moulded to his torso.

After that breather, Shinichi finally brought himself to reply to his friends' and family's messages. (It said much about his state of mind this past couple of weeks that he wasn't able to bring himself to soothe their worries.)

His phone call to Megure-Keibu was enough to settle most of the panic that night. The messages had then shifted to a myriad of worried ' _Are you okay? Have you been eating? Coffee isn't a substitute for a meal! Don't kill yourself after all the effort I put in creating the cure, Kudo-kun. Don't get you want us to visit Shin-chan?'_

He had managed to persuade his parents (more like his mother really), not to fly to Hawaii to meet him. Shinichi appreciated the gesture, but he reckoned that he'd need more time for himself, which was what he had been sorely lacking before.

While he didn't think his mother understood, he was glad that his father stepped in to reel her in, since they didn't appear in his hotel room the next day after his conversation with them.

He had also bumped into Kaito a few more times, though those weren't coincidences, no matter how much the magician tried to make it out to be.

It became obvious to Shinichi that it was KID's not-so-subtle way to check up on him. The magician had probably heard of his impromptu sabbatical, and made arrangements to have his magic show in Hawaii in the first place. It certainly wasn't the most common of places to host a magic show.

(The magician was definitely stalking him, he _had_ appeared in his hospital room the few times Shinichi had been admitted when the cases turned for the worse.)

Kaito hadn't tried to do more other than provide a _comforting_ presence to Shinichi who, between being a great listening ear, and an engaging story teller narrating his past exploits by re-enacting some of the magic tricks on the spot, did a great job in setting Shinichi at ease. A far contrast to the attention-seeking persona he had expected from the ex-thief– which was a pleasant surprise.

It was a refreshing change, being able to hang out with someone that didn't involve cases - _the Police -_ or murder - _Hattori -_ or reiterations of his inadequacies and shortcomings - _Ran or Haibara_.

Shinichi didn't know why the magician had bothered, but it wasn't a pressing enough mystery for him to solve, not when he seemed sincere in his endeavour to be a friend to Shinichi.

Between KID and the break he was finally able to take, hopefully by the time he was ready to go back to Japan, he'dbe as well as he promised his friends he was.

* * *

Just as he was debating on whether he should finally head back to Japan, Shinichi received a text from Kaito. ' _Better get use to thinking of him as Kaito too, it won't do to call him KID in public.'_

That's when he found out that he already had the magician's number on his phone… He could have sworn they hadn't exchanged numbers, _so when did he have the chance to pick his pocket?_ Much less had the chance add his contact in?

Filing that to the pile of many little mystery about Kaito for future perusal, he read the message:

 _I would recommend heading to Vancouver, Canada next._ \\(^_^)/ _They have the most spectacular view for sky diving the last time I tried._ (^o^) _And of course, you have got the try their maple syrup!_ (^(エ)^) _– KK_

"Should have pegged Kaito as someone who uses emoji." He thought as he typed back a reply.

 _Thanks-KS_

* * *

Then, Shinichi discovered the holygrail that was _Airbnb_.

He met up with a very nice middle age bachelor, who'd had leased out his extra room on the website. He had been warm and welcoming, and promptly rattled a list of things to do and places to go, as if he'd more than enough practice it. (He probably did, since he had joined the website two years ago and had at least 200 or so visitors to his humble abode.)

As he settled into this room, his thoughts drifted back to the time he had spent with the magician (which had been happening in increasing frequency this days).

Funny how things became so much clearer now that he had taken to time to stop and think.

He had thought that when he finally defeated the Black Organisation, he'd subconsciously thought that he'll be able to pick up where he left off, as if nothing had happened. That had been the plan in the beginning: _put the bad guys in jail, return to his own body, win the girl's heart and get on with his life._

But of course, things never turn out the way you expect.

He and Ran never got together, the lies between them had created too big a wedge to salvage any form of romantic relationship, though they still remained steadfast friends; it took several more years to seek all the remnants of the operators after the last big strike at the main branch of the black org, and a few more to put them all behind bars; and he certainly wasn't able to get on with his life, being far too damaged by the experience to return to status quo.

And Shinichi hadn't taken the time to _internalise_ all these before steamrolling ahead. No wonder he had burnt out… and it's probably a wonder that he had lasted as long as he did.

The more he talked with Kaito, the more he realised how dull he had become, with only work, murder and guilt only for company these days.

He had finally come to terms with the fact that his life had turned out differently than he had planned. And he could live with that. His experience changed him, and while he had made mistakes, it wasn't something that he should be trying to rectify, but embrace it as a learning experience and moved on.

Having those realisations shaved off more weight off his shoulders. He definitely didn't feel like a single straw would break his back anymore.

Now, all need to do was to figure out what he wanted in his life.

No pressure.

* * *

He had met up with Kaito a lot earlier than he expected this time.

Initially, he had planned on visiting/meeting up with the magician at his Magic show that was planned for in a few days' time. _Probably why Kaito had suggested for him to come to Vancouver in the first place_

But, of course, he beat Shinichi to it.

Shinichi had made arrangement to try sky diving (No, not just because Kaito, Google had suggested it too) and was to take the three o'clock morning charter bus that will bring them to the site that's three hour away – to catch a view of the sun rise as they plummet from thousands feet in the air.

Shinichi had promptly fallen asleep once he sat on the bus, and had been surprised to feel a warm object (was it paper? cardboard maybe… it's starting to burn a little) pressed against his check. He had opened his eyes, squinting against the bright overhead lights and looking into a pair of very familiar blue eyes. He took a couple more blinks to clear the dandelions his brain, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"K-kaito?" (It certainly didn't take Shinichi long to get use to calling the magician by his first name.)

"Hey there sleepyhead, rise and shine~!"

"W-what are you doing here?" ' _Was this becoming a trend? Him being flabbergasted and tongue-tied whenever he met up (however unexpectedly) with the magician?'_

"To sky dive of course! Had it planned for _ages_. Being a successful full-time magician doesn't leave me much chance to hang glide anymore, so I have to make do with this."

It probably said a lot about Kaito's expectations and concept of normalcy if sky diving was something he had to "make do" with, of all things.

"But you said you had sky dived in Vancouver before, haven't you? So why are you doing it again at the same place?"

"It is the only time I could fit into my plans." he shrugged. "Though I am very surprised and flattered by you, Tantei-kun, I didn't expect you to follow my recommendation, seeing as you only gave me a one word reply." Kaito had then clasped his hands, pouting.

' _Was that actually a tear at the corner of his eye?'_

"Well, I'm sorry for not being a good conversationalist when it comes to texting?"

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"Statement."

"Alright, I suppose you're forgiven. Anyway, here's coffee for you~." That's when Shinichi realised that the heat source had been a take-away coffee cup that the magician had pressed on his cheek.

He was about to thank him when Kaito continued "And you're so adorable when you sleep! You were so dead to the world that you didn't realised that I have been poking you for the last thirty minutes!"

"The last thirty minutes?! … That's how long since we arrived?"

"Nah… we've only been here for the last ten. I was the first to get off to grab the coffee…. guess you really didn't know I was sitting beside you the whole ride here." And there was that annoying smirk graced his lips. "Better get going, everyone's alighted." True enough, as Shinichi looked around, the whole bus was empty except them.

 _He really hadn't noticed anything._

"Guess the word at the precinct was true, you really can't function without coffee, can ya~?"

"Let's just get going," ignoring the magician, Shinichi took a sip from the coffee and made his way out of the bus.

Really, if he wasn't so non-functional right now, he would have just died of embarrassment there and then.

* * *

He was sure that Kaito was stalking him and had arranged all of…'This'.

By 'This', he meant that Kaito had all the necessary paperwork to prove that he was a trained and certified tandem sky-diver – ' _Thank goodness I brought them with me today~_ '; and made arrangements for them to take a charter plane for themselves (The first plane had been inconveniently been too full - a system error had caused an overbooking and an instructor short) _– 'Oh, what a coincidence~'_.

How did the magician managed to wring that out of the skydiving company, Shinichi never found out.

He had considered (and tried) to protest the arrangement, but the magician had weaved his magic on everyone by then. So his complaints died on his lips and he was shuffled onto the smaller plane without much hurray.

Now here he was on the plane, thousands of feet in the air, trying to settle the rumble in his belly – _Was it fear? Was his life flashing before his eyes? No, Shinichi, it's just nerves. Was that a videographer? Where did he come from? He certainly hadn't paid for one._ Shinichi couldn't help but think how quickly he'd become used to the magician's eccentricities.

What exactly had he unwittingly signed up for when he 'accidentally' made friends with the thrill-seeking Kaitou KID? Especially now, when the magician hadn't bothered to school his face and had been radiating with excitement, his scheme (no doubt there was one) at the edge of fruition.

 _Definitely had planning something involving more than sky diving._

As he prepared for his jump with Kaito, he kept telling himself ( _only partially successfully_ ) that he's probably the safest sky diving with the Kaitou KID, no matter what happened. (There was very little things he's willing to lie about. This was, unfortunately, one of them.) On the off chance the parachutes failed, Kaito liked his Detectives enough to keep them safe, _right?_

Especially since he wouldn't put it pastthe magician to hide his hang glider inside the already bulky sky diving suit he was wearing.

* * *

And he was proven right when, at the last hundred feet, Kaito pulled another trigger that discarded the parachute and released a white hang glider that's big enough to accommodate two passengers.

Shinichi _so_ totally pegged him.

* * *

He stumbled upon another _delightful_ discovery whilst lazily shifting though the restaurants that his Airbnb host had recommended.

Google had led him to an amazing compilation of food photography – food porn had been the term used to describe this _brilliant_ phenomenon.

He hadn't never been interested in food or eating before, viewing it more as a sustenance and another issue for his friends (mainly Ran really) to pester him about.

But as he continued browsing through the delectable photos, unable to tear his eyes away from the oh so delicate and aesthetically pleasing view, he couldn't help but think that Sherlock Holmes would have been much more interested in consuming sustenance and less on drugs if he had these pictures to tempt him with.

Shinichi had subsequently added a mobile apps, Instragram, to keep up with this new food-viewing addiction. _At least he had a better idea why Hattori had been all crazy about following food trends and dragging him across Japan to try them._

Now that he had his phone in his hand, he couldn't help but think about all the pictures he had taken these past few days. He had started on a whim, after feeling inspired by the 'food porn' he was admiring while waiting for his food. (It was delicious as promised, and left a review at Zomato saying as much).

Choosing one from breakfast this morning with Kaito – the magician had dragged him for breakfast the morning after his show - he fiddled with the filters, _'So hard to decide!",_ before settling with one called, _lark_ , which fit the mood rather perfectly.

He posted it with hashtags as well – _which was what he was supposed to do, wasn't it?_

 _KudosforShinichi_ **#food #foodporn #cafe #cafefood #brunch #bakedgoods #lemonloaf #coffee #Revolvercoffee #vancouver #holiday #meal #Kudogoestraveling #KudoinVancouver**

And ended it with one last tag:

 **MagicKaito**

* * *

Shinichi couldn't help but smile when he received this notification an hour later:

 _MagicKaito_ **KudosforShinichi, nice name. Didn't know you had a sense of humour underneath those porcupine spikes of yours! Anyway, here's a little belated #birthdaypresent from me to you. Because, no, you hadn't ordered for the videographer, I know you were wondering about it. :D #maythefourthbewithyou #mayfourth #happybelatedbirthday**

Above the block of text was a video instead of a picture that's usually posted. The image flickered to the start of the video, which depicted his sky diving endeavour a couple days back.

Kaito had just tilted them off the plane, and they were pulling away from screen before seemingly hovering air. Arms spread out, mouths wide open as if screaming, though there's no audio because the mute icon was on. The skin and lips on their faces flapped with the wind as they continue their downward journey to the ground. Then, clip looped back to the beginning and start reeling again.

' _Ah… that explains the refund on my card.'_

* * *

An onslaught of messages came after that. His friends, who had been tip-toeing around him the last couple of weeks (not without reason of course), had probably decided if he was well enough to go skydiving, he was well enough now to be _harassed_ , and started sending him messages inquiring about his travels (he had continue to document his adventures on instagram after that) and health. In the process, Shinichi started reconnecting and touch base with them.

Among the chill banter with Hattori, Ran's sincere queries on his travels and the berating that he'd gotten from Haibara about his health that didn't quite hide the relief she felt for his well-being, Shinichi thought that maybe his heart was starting to feel whole again.

* * *

Shinichi's next destination was Florida. And yes, Disney World was on his agenda.

You couldn't blame him, he had missed out on it on his last trip to the States. _Or you maybe could, since he had been the one to reject his mother's multiple offers to bring him there in his attempt to be mature._

(Funny how the things he did to make himself look mature just made him even less so.)

The rides had been fun enough - _you'd lost the thrill of most amusement rides after being thrown out of a blimp without a parachute_ -, and since he came just before the summer season, he managed to avoid the horde of school children, so the park wasn't too crowded (that had been the sage advice given to him by Google).

He had, of course, continued posting on his account:

 _KudosforShinichi_ **#KudoinFlorida #Disney #Disneyworld #WaltDisneyWorld #ridesareforkids #notexcitingenough #gladitisntcrowded #cottoncandyismynewfav**

What made the whole trip perfect - _and wasn't that a surprising self-reflection_ -, was when Kaito had made a surprise appearance as a one of the closing acts of the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Shinichi hadn't realised he had come to look forward to Kaito's unexpected appearances on his trips, until he sighted him, and let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding.

"So, did you like it?" The parade had ended a short while ago and the crowd was moving towards the exit. Shinichi had lingered behind, partly to avoid being squashed by a herd of families who seemed to be rushing to get their kids in bed (a valid concern, since Shinichi actually witnessed said family trampling on a poor soul in their haste), and partly because it was becoming a trend for them to catch up after the magician's last performance.

"… Yes, you really never do the same act twice do you? This one's different from the one in Hawaii and Vancouver."

"So glad you noticed~!"

"Not challenging Thruston's third principle anymore?"

"If I ever do, it'll only be for you ~," Shinichi could feel a blush creeping onto his face, flattered by the thief's implied praise. He coughed, in an effort to hide the redness in his cheeks. It had been a long time since he had had a compliment being directed at him in his presence, even if it was rather back-handed.

"Well… anyway, I think it's really impressive, tonight's show, I mean." Shinichi said, returning the favour.

"Thank you! So finally the day has come when a critic has finally praised me for my work! The next step is just to get you over to the dark side!" the next moment Shinichi found himself in such a tight embrace that he was starting to see stars.

"Stop it, please."

"Alright, since you asked so nicely." the magician conceded, loosening his hold on the detective, "Anyway, let's grab something to eat, I'm starving."

* * *

This time, Kaito hadn't bothered to make their next meeting a coincidence, and had greeted Shinichi when he opened the door to the apartment he had booked on Airbnb.

"Good morning, Shinichi~!"

Shinichi hadn't bothered replying, his raised eyebrow said it all. _This was way too early for him_.

"This is my apartment."

"…"

"You know that it's illegal to Airbnb in New York right? "

O _h… he hadn't known_

His face must have said it all, as the magician continued without skipping a beat, "I reckoned that's the case, so I thought I made arrangements to make sure you don't accidentally commit any crime!"

"…"

"And maybe I just want to spend some time with my new best friend, since most of my acts and tricks are inspired to 'Wow' you in the first place~!"

Kaito's smile widen a tad upon noticing Shinichi's blush. _Shinichi hadn't known the magician had hold him in such high regard._

"Come on in! Let me give you the grand tour!"

* * *

Kaito had spent a lot of time with Shinichi lately. Oh, there were stretches of time when the magician disappeared, presumably preparing for his next act. (He was having it at Broadway this time), leaving Shinichi alone to explore the city.

Instagram had become the bridge connecting him back to his friends. Shinichi was not an expressive person by nature. So sharing anything verbally with his friends was something he was still getting the hang of– Ran can attest to this, as the one who had been constantly complaining about his lack of communication for the longest time.

His daily chronicles became a gateway for Shinichi and his friends to ease into conversations that would have otherwise been left stale. Especially after the way he had pushed his friends away.

To think that he had to be at the other end of the world before he started to be reconnected with his friends. Guess he wasn't such a good friends after all.

Though Hattori had been rather nice about it. Or not

 _It's okay Kudo, someone has to be the one to go through a quarter-life crisis!_

He had blocked Hattori on Instagram until he apologised. _That Ba'rou, he hadn't even lasted three hours._

* * *

Here he was now, getting himself comfortable on his seat for the eight-hour flight to London. He was about to start attempting the Sudoku challenge in the flight magazine (he like to see if he could complete it before take-off, just for the heck of it), when an overly familiar figure caught his peripheral view. _Wasn't this getting old?_

"Kaito?" Shinichi inquired, keeping his tone as even as possible. He wasn't going to give the magician the satisfaction that he was still caught by surprise by his appearance, even if he was starting to get used to them.

"Looks like you could use the company." Kaito said as he set his bag into the overhead compartment.

"Hmmm, I don't know, I am doing alright by myself so far." Turning his attention back to the puzzle.

"Oh come on Shinichi! You know you love my company~!"

"I wouldn't be sure about that." Scribbling in a nine in the top right most box. _And where's the next nine..._

"Oi! That hurt! Right here" he pounded his chest and clenching his heart as if wounded.

"Sure it does," trying his best to reply nonchalantly. It wouldn't do for the magician to find out that Shinichi had already made his decision.

"Anyway, I have a decent grasp of various European languages, you'll be surprised by what you can pick up after doing so many tours in Europe. I am sure you'll want to travel beyond London afterwards." Kaito continued on, totally not put off my Shinchi's apparent lack of attention. _Probably because Shinichi had gotten the whole puzzle wrong already…Bummer._

Shinichi pretended to ponder a little longer before turning away from the magazine and answering, "Well, I suppose. Now that you mention it, having a translator could come in handy. Looks like you could be useful after all."

"Oi! Is that only reason why you're agreeing?" A twenty-four-year-old grown man like Kaito shouldn't be able to pull off such a pout and be successfully at it. _The universe was just plain unfair._

"Probably," Shinichi's lips twitched slightly, trying his best to keep the smile off his face.

"Oh Shinichi, I never knew you were such a tease~"

* * *

"What about your tour?"

"Ah, about that… would you mind if we take a few detours along the way?"

"Sure…Wait a minute…I know that look. You are going to make me your assistant, aren't you?"

"Maybe~?"

"Oi, oi," Shinichi sighed, before continuing, "so you're going to challenge Thurston's first rule, then?"

"It doesn't count with you!~"

"Huh?"

"Well, even if you'd figured out my tricks so far, you never told a soul about it, People are still clamouring for me to replicate some of KID's most daring stunts…"

"It just never came up?" That excuse sounded weak even to his ears.

"Hahaha, I'll make a great magician out of you, Mententai~."

* * *

To be continued…

Video Clip segment – inspired by one of Simon and Martina's earlier youtube clip. They are hilarious. Go check them out on youtube. They also have the most adorable Pekingese Dog with blue Mohawk and the sweetest Scottish Fold Cat.

 _Definitions_

 _Keibu – Inspector_

 _Tantei – Detective_

 _Kaitou KID – Phantom thief KID_

 _Mentantei – Great Detective_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kaito wasn't sure why He'd sought Shinichi out in the first place.

Okay, fine...he knew why, but what he didn't know was what drove him to actually do it, especially since he had spent the last six years persuading himself not to get close to the detective.

Before he'd gotten to know the detective on a more personal level, Kudo Shinichi - or Edogawa Conan as Kaito had initially known him as - was simply another adversary to add to the throng of people on his tail, after his hide, putting bounties on his head... _You get the drift._

Sure, the then pint-sized detective's presence at his heist was a welcome invitation for him to create the most convoluted tricks in an attempt to impress his favourite critic. They also usually assisted one another when the occasion called for it.

But at the end of the day, Kudo Shinichi was just another obstacle for Kaito to overcome in his crusade to stop Snake and destroy Pandora.

That was, until they became allies.

-Flashback-

 _It had been a very close call… In fact, it was the closest Snake had gotten to him ever since he started his night time career as a phantom thief._

 _Kaito tried to keep his breathing steady despite his heart rapidly thumping against his chest. On top of that, he had to contort his body to fit the tight space of the storage unit, keeping his back straight on the hard backing of the box, both hands pressing on the sides to keep him balanced on one foot._

 _It was the only hiding place Kaito could find on short notice where he could dodge the criminal without making any noise. It had the added bonus of being tucked away in a strategic corner where Snake hadn't thought, and hopefully wouldn't think, to explore. Kaito could hear the thumping of heavy boots as the man desperately searched the warehouse], his voice drifting in and out of range as he kept shouting for KID._

 _Just as he thought things couldn't get worse, he felt a sudden tug on his cape, as if something had stepped on the end of it and his senses went into overdrive. Flinching in surprise, he snapped his head around to look down and through the dim, filtered light that passed through the edges of box he was hiding in, spotting an all-too-familiar cowlick that had no right to be in such a dangerous situation._

 _'Tantei-kun! What has he gotten into this time?!'_

 _Just as he was thinking – panicking really — of a way to get the both of them out to safety, the roller door of the warehouse slammed opened and the sound of the impact echoed through the warehouse, putting him on edge again._

 _"Gin! What on earth are you doing here?" He could hear Snake's loud, indignant voice spit out in anger._

 _"I could ask you the same question, Snake." The reply came from a cold, chilling, deep tenor and was accompanied by a telltale click– a gun?!_

 _"Looking for KID. You know it's my only assignment, other than Pandora."_

 _"And I guess you haven't noticed anyone slipping in before I came?"_

 _"Definitely not, my eyes were on the door the whole time. And I only saw you coming in." There was the sound of clothes shuffling. Was Snake putting down his hands? This Gin guy must be serious business to scare even Snake out of his offensive position. "Now, if you could put your gun away, maybe you could tell me why are you here disrupting my plans?" It was a long pause before the second man answered._

 _"Was cleaning up after a rat, and I think he might have someone else with him. But looks like the guy's long gone. Since it seems like you're the only one here."_

 _There was a snort, "You're paranoid, always have been. One of these days, you're going to shoot us all like a trigger-happy lunatic... Anyway, I better get going, that stupid thief has probably escaped by now, because of you."_

 _"Tsk, don't blame me for your own incompetence."_

 _The voices drifted away, and before long, the whole warehouse was completely silent as the men left the building._

 _However, they continued to hold their breath, not daring to fidget lest it was a trap and the men were still in the warehouse. It was only after an hour - or was it two? Kaito lost count -, before they dared to finally let their legs give way, and collapsed onto one another in relief._

-End of Flashback-

It was a no-brainer really, even if both parties weren't too thrilled about it. They had shaken hands and started working together.

Not that they had anything to complain about, since that faithful meeting turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as they managed to take down the syndicate six months after the fact.

It was during that time that any reservations Kaito had about working with the shrunken detective evaporated in the short period they worked together.

Between the sarcastic, witty batter they shared during the wee hours of the morning planning their strikes and the easy camaraderie they had with each other while working as a cohesive team, Shinichi became someone Kaito could trust to watch his back as they took the final strike at the heart of the organisation.

In those six short months, Kaito was surprised, and pleased, to discover a kindred spirit in the detective. Someone who shared the same mental capacity and wavelength as Kaito; someone who had no qualms about upholding justice and saving lives at expense of the law; someone whose life was very much a parallel to Kaito's, juggling alternate lives and identities while trying to right the wrong in the world.

Kudo Shinichi was someone who could hopefully fully empathise and comprehend the man behind the poker face.

For the last couple of years, Kaito's life had revolved around the men responsible for his father's death, Nakamori-Keibu with his single-minded zealous pursuit, Hakuba with his pointed accusations, Akako and her attempts to get into his pants, and the lies that put a wedge between him and Aoko.

What a lonely life Kaito led… The few friends he held a connection with were those frayed beyond repair by complications, lies and ulterior motives. Even with his mother's, if distant, support, and Jii-chan's everlasting loyalty – while they did a splendid job in helping him integrate back into civilian life -, it wasn't enough to counteract the loneliness in his heart.

It would have been a refreshing breath of air, a dose of relief, a shoulder to lean on… If things had been different...

 _Kaito hadn't realised he was craving a genuine friend until he met Kudo Shinichi._

Alas, there was no use crying over spilt milk; and with instinct dying hard and all, Kaito hadn't pursued the friendship he sorely yearned for, even after the downfall of the syndicate and hanging up his cape for good.

Because their alliance was based on convenience. There was nothing more to bind them together now that they didn't have a common enemy.

 _'It's better this way,'_ his mind kept reminding him, even as his heart rebelled against it. ' _No point getting involved with a critic. It'll never turn out the way you wanted it to be. So just forget about it.'_

* * *

The crack lines were so obvious, it was a wonder no one noticed that Kudo Shinichi was on a one way express train to a huge meltdown.

And Kaito wasn't even looking for it.

It was one year after the dust had settled with the syndicate and the detective had returned to his original body. A year since he last saw his favourite critic. Kaito had been tagging along with Aoko to the police station – she'd wanted to pass a bento to her father, still depressed with KID's retirement – and had passed the detective in the hallway.

It was the obvious eye bags, the hollowness in his daze, and the hunch in his back. The detective was dragging his feet as he carried the stack of file cases with a lifeless, dispassionate lethargy that seemed to have been permanently etched onto the detective's physique…

 _What happened to the face filled with triumphant confidence a year ago?_

Whatever it was, it warranted an investigation…

* * *

After much deliberation, Kaito turned up at Shinichi house that night - _No, it's a mansion. No house is supposed to have ten bedrooms, a home theater system, and a library that had books stocked up to the ceiling_ \- and was treated to the sight of the detective in the library, cordoning himself off with mountains of case files and notes.

His eye bags seemed twice as dark and heavy under the badly lit table lamp; and his posture so rigid, as if he hadn't moved for hours on end.

As Kaito took in Shinichi's eyes, all he saw was concentrated weariness. Whatever sparks for mysteries the detective had seemed to have long deserted him as he continued his mindless pursuit of cases. It was as if he hadn't known what to do with himself after returning to his own life, other than working on cases. As if his existence was dependent on his ability to solve cases.

Which was rather worrying. Since according to the rumour mill, it's been like this ever since the detective came out from hiding.

At that point, as if sensing the magician's presence, the detective abruptly stood from his seat and frowned in Kaito's direction...

"KID?"

 _'Ahh, looks like Tantei-kun's instinct is still sharp... Well, here goes nothing.'_

He stepped out into the path of the moon light, dressed in a black turtleneck and slacks – he wasn't exactly here as Kaitou Kid, after all -, tilting his cap just at the right angle to cast enough shadow to hide his face.

"Good evening, Tantei-kun."

"KID...what you are doing here?" his voice was flat, void of emotion. Kaito wasn't sure if it was weariness from the cases, or if the detective was being cautious and apprehensive of Kaito's sudden appearance.

(Though if Kaito was a betting man, which he certainly was, he knew where he'd be putting his stakes on.)

"Ah. Just thought I'd drop by to celebrate the anniversary..." Kaito trailed off when he saw the detective flinching at the word.

Ahh, was that why the detective had been overworking himself?

"Though it seems like you aren't in the mood. Which is such a shame…I even brought the champagne.

"It seems like you'll be needing it, "Kaito continued when Shinichi remained silent, magically producing the champagne bottle from the air and setting it on the table, "with the way you have been running yourself ragged."

"It's none of your business," Shinichi snared, his tone suddenly cold, sharp and defensive. As if it was a sore spot that he had been hearing far too many times from too many people.

 _As if all that time and camaraderie spent bringing down an international crime syndicate together was long forgotten._

"Well, guess you're right about that..." Deciding it was best that he now take his leave, Kaito stepped back into the shadows and made his way out of the oppressive atmosphere of the mansion. He ignored the sting in his heart as he walked – no, he ran – back home.

 _'Because he's right. It's really none of my business.'_

* * *

Despite being dismissed so blatantly, Kaito, a big softy at heart - why else would he have cute little soft toys at hand to give out to little kids for when he performed his magic -, continued his concerned surveillance on the detective.

Especially when he found out that the poor man had no one to take care of him – his parents continued with their travels; Mouri-chan hadn't reacted well upon learning the detective's secret and hadn't reciprocated his declaration of love; Tantei-han was too far away in Osaka.

 _And he had put a wall up to block out anyone else who might have cared._

With all that the detective went through - with the brittle mask he plastered on for the world so close to shattering, where a small nudge would push him off the edge of the cliff - how long, really, could Shinichi continue on like this, before it all collapsed on him?

Though Kaito could understand where his struggles were coming from – the emotional conflict the detective was experiencing - Kaito could see it clearly in himself as well. And he wouldn't have been able to move on if not for his mother and Jii-chan.

 _And Shinichi didn't have someone like that in his life anymore._

Which was why Kaito made the decision to visit the detective whenever he had time to spare. To remind the detective that there's someone out there who cared; that Kaito was someone Shinichi couldn't really push away like the others – 'so maybe you could consider letting me in?'

So when Kaito heard the news of the detective's sudden departure to South Korea – _Nakamori-Keibu had been ranting about how much chaos the brat had caused with his inconsiderateness_ – the only thing Kaito was surprised by was how long it took for Shinichi to snap.

Six years in fact.

He hadn't realised he'd already made his decision until he landed in Hawaii, because really, it's about time someone stepped in.

* * *

 _So the detective thinks he needs to 'fix' himself? Tsk! As if there was ever anything broken to begin with._

Even if the detective hadn't realised it until now, Shinichi had been wearing himself down all these years. Kaito didn't know what was he working towards (there wasn't another international crime syndicate that needed to be taken down the last he checked), but from what Kaito had seen these past few years, he reckoned what the detective really needed was a little time to decompress and process his thoughts and feelings.

Regardless of how physically unscathed the detective came out of the experience, there was still the emotional and mental trauma that had to be dealt with.

And wasn't that the same thing Kaito had struggled with – _how much of Kaitou KID was Kuroba Kaito? Was Kuroba Kaito even real now?_ Those doubts circled his thoughts long after he retired. It wasn't until he had faced those problems head on that he was able to make peace with himself.

He hadn't expected Shinichi to turn up for his magic show when he'd spontaneously invited the detective at the beach. And he couldn't shake off the excited shiver and nervous energy when he spotted him at the back of restaurant.

Pure muscle memory got him through his performance, his mind frantically twirling with plans - _What should he do? What should he say? Should he be himself, or should he ease the detective into his true self, since Shinichi had only known him as KID? Or would doing that just scare him off..._

Kaito hadn't had much planned other than to check up on Shinichi. However, with this turn in conversation, maybe there was something that he could do to help nudge the detective in the right direction.

 _Maybe it was a good sign that Shinichi had accepted his invitation; maybe he might be receptive to whatever Kaito had in mind..._

Not that Kaito was bored; coming up with new magic for his shows was always fun. However, it's always set, stagnant. Even if he hadn't regretted leaving his double life behind him, he occasionally missed the excitement, the exhilaration of that spontaneous improvisation that he had to perform during heists and the satisfaction when he successfully pulled them off. They just brought a different sort of thrill that he wasn't able to replicate elsewhere.

So he had some planning to do. And if all went well, it would be like the good old days - minus the threat of death hanging over his head, of course.

Not to mention he was sure Shinichi would appreciate the company.

* * *

And he did.

The signs were there, even if they weren't obvious. As the days passed, he could see that the detective was becoming more carefree, the shadows under his eyes disappeared, _and was that a smile he spotted just a second ago?_

And Kaito knew right then, that he had made the right choice.

* * *

Kaito had sent his favourite critic, or his biggest fan - as he liked to think Shinichi was recently -, on a little treasure hunt around London while he busied himself with preparations for his magic show.

It had the added benefit of steering Shinichi away from the usual tourist attractions – _there's more to do in London than what's recommended on Google._ And the mystery-loving detective dove straight into the hunt once he sighted the puzzle over breakfast with sparkles in his eyes and a zeal that had been missing for a while. Good to know that his interest in puzzles returned with a vengeance after the detective had time to rejuvenate himself.

 _'Ahh, speak of the devil, looks like Tantei-kun is finished with the hunt... though I wonder how did he manage to slip into the building...'_ Kaito wondered as he sighted Shinichi loitering in the foyer as he made his way out of the theater. The building manager was supposed to keep unauthorised personnel from entering the building – they'd probably mistaken the detective for him.

 _'Not that I could blame them, given the multiple times I was able to impersonate Shinichi with only hairspray.'_

The detective was standing by the exit, sweat glistening down his cheeks as he typed away on his phone, unaware of Kaito's presence. It was an especially hot summer day for London, which was probably why Shinichi had sought refuge in the theatre.

With years of practice that had been ingrained in his habits, Kaito quietly tipped toed to the detective and peered over his shoulder – curious at what Shinichi was absorbed in – and took a peek at his phone:

 _KudosforShinichi_ **MagicKaito #KudoinLondon #Londoneye #SherlockHolmes #221BBakerisactually187NorthGowerBooHoo #BBCSherlock** **#holyshitisthatBenedictCumberbatch!**

' _Kekeke. What a good opportunity!_ ' Kaito thought, tilting his phone in front of the detective.

"Say cheese~!"

"Kaito!" A click and a flash later, a photo materialised on Kaito's phone. He had a bunny finger - cloth puppet and all - over Shinichi's head and the detective was making a very good impression of a curious kitten, clearly in a look of bewilderment that Kaito had taken to use to increase his traffic on his Instagram account.

(He laughed when Shinichi said it was abuse of friendship privileges. It's purely for marketing, Kaito swore. The detective really didn't know how marketable he was with the fangirls).

Seconds later, a ping from his phone alerted Shinichi of the photo Kaito had uploaded on {Instagram}:

 _MagicKaito_ **KudosforShinichi #magicshow #TheMagicKaitoShow #London #TheIllusionist #ShaftesburyTheater #IsntShinichiCute #AdorableShinichi #havingfunwithShinichi #bunnyfingerpuppet #myclone #doppelganger #mylonglosttwin**

"Kaito…" he could see Shinichi's right eye twitching involuntary. _The detective definitely didn't appreciate being called cute._

"Let's get go…"Kaito was about to put his arm around the detective to herd him towards the exit when he was cut off by a sound, like something was being knocked over. "Who's there?"

And of course, no one responded.

"Maybe it's just the cleaner or maintenance guy?" Shinichi suggested.

"Maybe...Come on, you can decide dinner tonight. I know you've been doing your research on Zomato."

* * *

 _It was supposed to have ended six years ago. He wasn't supposed to be fearing for his life anymore; no one was even supposed to be after his life anymore. He left that all behind…behind the prison bars, behind the portrait in his childhood room, under the billiard table at Blue Parrots..._

 _He was Kuroba Kaito. He wasn't Kaitou KID anymore. So why was this happening to him?_

 _'Shinichi. I need to call Shinichi'_ , with shivering hands, Kaito navigated the icons on his phone until he found Shinichi's contact.

"Shinichi," he could barely let out anything louder than a whisper when the call finally connected.

"Where are you?" The detective immediately picking up on his anxiety he hadn't been able to contained.

"At the theatre...Shinichi…"

"I am on my way. Talk to me."

"I think ...I think someone's trying to kill me... Someone cut the wire that's supposed to hoist me up. If I hadn't been move away quick enough ...Shinichi, they didn't believe me when I said I had checked the trick before we left yesterday."

 _Shinichi, help me..._

"Shhh, it's okay Kaito. I'll be there as soon as I can."

 _Don't worry Kaito, I'm here._

* * *

 _'The one time having the same face actually worked in Shinichi's favour._ ' Kaito thought absentmindedly as he led the detective through the supporting metal structure along the ceiling to where his contraption failed earlier, avoiding the rest of the herd below as they busied themselves in preparation for the show, busy enough not to have the time or the attention span to look up the truss.

He wasn't allowed to bring Shinichi in, let alone investigate his own attempted murder. (No, that'll just cause unnecessary delays, he said. Not when it's obvious that you hadn't kept your equipment right – that douche). Without the support of the producer, Kaito couldn't afford to have Shinichi investigate openly.

The instant they arrived at the crime scene, Shinichi's gazed sharpened, taking in the air, the surrounding, the positioning of the contraption. He fiddled with the end of the wires that had supposedly 'snapped' - that's what the producer had officially concluded. The detective then turned his attention to the rest of the metal structure, observing the dust with gloved fingers and puttering about his deductions under his breath as he gathered what seemed to be like invisible evidence to Kaito.

After what seemed like ages - though it'd only been five minutes - Shinichi turned to Kaito and asked.

"Think you can hack into the security cameras?"

* * *

Kaito had been in a daze when he'd led the detective to the rooftop of the theater, the only place safe from prying eyes and listening ears.

Seating on the ledge that had seen better days and far too much bird defecation, Kaito produced a simple large picnic cloth that resolved that particular issue. The hot summer day took a sudden turn to typical London weather. The dark and gloomy cloud was an exact reflection of Kaito's mood, his mind far away even as he was dutifully answering Shinichi's queries.

The flashbacks, the memories of the very last night he saw his father alive, resurfaced from the depth of his mind with full force, once it occurred to him that someone was out to get him. The incident had hit too close for comfort, the traumatic moment hanging at the back of his head, constantly tugging at the tormenting emotions he thought he'd managed to bury away. Try as he might, he couldn't chase them away from the forefront of his thoughts.

It had been around half an hour since the 'accident' occurred before Shinichi arrived, more than enough time for the culprit to hide the evidence away.

 _If he hadn't panicked; if he hadn't froze..._

Shinichi sat beside him, head huddled in front of Kaito's computer, shifting through the minute details within the security footage. Kaito had monotonously recounted what had occurred, and answered the steady stream of questions that the detective set forth.

It took him a while before he recognised the worried side glances Shinichi threw at him. That told him he had failed to keep his poker face on, even though he had been trying to keep it together.

 _'Not that I could ever hide anything from Tantei-kun for long_.'

And that's when Kaito decided to drop the bombshell.

"Shinichi…that's how my Dad died."

"…Kaito?"

"Snake, you remember him?" at Shinichi's nod, Kaito continued. "He sabotaged Dad's magic, and he died while performing on stage…I-I c-could have gone the same way he did."

"Kaito..."

"I don't know if they are doing this because of KID..." He didn't know if telling Shinichi would help with the investigation. But if there was a possibility that They were behind this... Kaito finally shifted his gaze towards Shinichi blue, understanding eyes.

"Promise you'll protect me?"

 _Please._

"Of course."

 _You didn't have to ask_.

* * *

They sat there in silence for a while longer, before Shinichi spoke again.

"It's not _Them_."

"Really?" Hope filled Kaito – that meant that they weren't in as much danger as he had speculated. But that also meant that they were dealing with an unknown entity. He didn't know what to think about that particular piece of information.

"There's only three people that could have done it, according to the tapes." Shinichi continued. "I've got my suspicions, but I can't be sure until I find out more…"

"Does that mean you have figured it all out?"

"Almost...the culprit had already removed the evidence, so all that I have is rather circumstantial at the moment…" He had flinched at that comment, knowing that he could have helped gather said evidence if he hadn't panicked.

However, the feeling quickly faded away, along with all the tension and worry that had been pooling within him, at the sight of Shinichi's trademark smirk.

 _There's the Meitantei he knew._

"Don't worry Kaito. I have a plan."

* * *

"Sorry Haibara, there's only so much I can do on my phone. And I didn't being my laptop with me..." He could hear Shinichi in the enclosed space despite the detective being at the other side of the room, but not enough to hear the speaker at the other end of the phone.

They had adjourned to the dressing room afterwards as Kaito had to prepare for his show while Shinichi continued to make his preparations for his little scheme to flush out the culprit.

"…."

"Huh?"

"..."

A second later, what seemed like the sound of a frog croaking was emitted from Shinichi, drawing Kaito's attention to the detective again. He turned around and was treated to the sight of the detective, whose eyes were bulging, not unlike an amphibian, as he stared into the bright glare of his phone.

Curious to what had caused such a particular response, Kaito propelled himself to Shinichi's side, sneaking a peek at what's on the screen.

It was a simple clutch, baby pink, with a tinge of the classic Burberry pattern lining the bag. It was one of the newest fall release - according to the website, so the price tag was very _hefty_ – which totally accounted for Shinichi's reaction.

Simple and classic, perfectly suited for Haibara – if she was her actual age.

Kaito could hear the loud, exaggerated sigh that Shinichi had let out – probably more for the benefit of the little scientist than anything else. "Fine, but only if you're able to give me detailed reports on every one of them in three hours."

Now that he was right beside Shinichi, Kaito could hear her scoff, "Please Kudo-kun, I can do it in half that time."

* * *

Kaito slammed the door open, not caring about the hinges and the door knob that rattled as he strode into the Airbnb apartment they were renting in London. His black cape fluttered behind him as he walked – almost running - towards the uncommunicative detective, his poker face long abandoned after the show had ended.

The only thing that had gotten Kaito through the post-performance interview was the singular, uninformative text that he received after his show:

 _Case closed. Culprit's with the police._ \- KS

"So what happened?" was the first thing that came out of Kaito's mouth when his eyes landed on Shinichi. It was times like this when he cursed at Shinichi's inability to be more expressive, in writing at least. Kaito couldn't wait any longer.

 _He had to know._

The detective looked up from his phone, who gave a look... _that was a cross between embarrassment and sheepish?_

"Well, you see…"

-Flashback-

 _He knew he was doing the right thing. That smart-mouth up-start was tarnishing his idol's name, stealing the spotlight. He hadn't had a choice, he needed to get rid of that rascal!_

 _Oh, he would pay. For taking advantage of his idol's successes! For being such a glory hound!_

 _Just a little snip, and it will all be over!_

 _"I wouldn't bother with that if I were you, Mr. Producer."_

 _The unexpected voice yanked him out of his self-imposed trance. There was actually someone up there with him? How? He lifted his head up towards the source._

 _There, over five feet away, was a man dressed in black. Black hooded jacket and slacks with a black cap covering his face. Standing far enough that the dimmed lights of the whole theater had masked his presence until he spoke._

 _Hands in his pocket, the figure was striding towards him, with such balance and confidence as if he wasn't walking on the tight, narrow, curved steel beam of the truss where a simple tumble could cause a swift plummet into the audience below._

 _When the figure finally entered the light, he caught sight of the monocle on his face, a string attached with a decorative clover at the end, cementing the identity of the mysterious figure in his mind._

 _"K-KID the P-phantom Thief!" he exclaimed in shock, pointing his finger at KID, his plans all forgotten._

 _"Kaito has already abandoned that particular trick, so even if you cut those wires, nothing will happen."_

 _"Wha…?!" the rest of his words got stuck in his throat._

 _"Would you mind telling me why are you trying so hard to kill my protégé?" KID posed the question as the applause precipitated and the theatre descended into silence in anticipation of next trick._

 _"P-p-protégé? H-him?"_

 _"You can't imagine how hard it is to train someone to be good enough to take over my legacy." KID was now standing – towering - in front of him._

 _"…"_

 _"So please, if you could do me the favour of passing that wire cutter to me." KID extended his hand out and gestured at the cutter, "and maybe when you finally find your voice, you can answer my question."_

 _"Q-Question?"_

 _"Yes, question. Why are you trying to kill Kaito?"_

 _"I-I th-thought… I'm so sorry! I thought he was making use of you and your fame! I didn't know he was your protégé!"_

 _"Excuses," KID spat, taking the wire cutter away from slacked hands. "Magic is something that's supposed to entertain the audience, the who or how shouldn't make a difference; my protégé just chose to do it in a more… legitimate manner than me._

 _"I may have been a thief, but I only steal what I can return. Stealing a life is something that I will never tolerate, especially since it is something that can never be returned once taken."_

-End of Flashback-

"Well, that's rather anti-climactic." Kaito slumped on the sofa, all the energy drained from him as Shinichi recounted the incident.

 _To think he had been sent over to the edge of panic because of a misunderstanding by a KID fan…_

"Yes, it was. Who knew the producer was such a Kaitou KID fanatic that he'd be willing to kill you for 'impersonating' yourself."

 _Ah yes, that would have been awkward. To be killed by fan…he could see the headlines now. 'Kaitou KID, killed by own fan.'_

"How did you know it was him anyway?" Kaito inquired, heaving a sigh as he raised his hands to the side of his face to massage his temple. _It was a very, very long day._

"From what Haibara managed to dig up about his background. Also from the fact that he was too quick to dismiss your concerns about the accident. The magic company he was working for is reputed to put safety first. So him disregarding the accident was going against that policy, especially since there's enough evidence to suggest that you could have actually died from it. That's what made me suspect him in the first place." Shinichi scrolled through his phone until he found what he was looking for, and extended his arm to show it to Kaito.

"I managed to look through his Magic Café forum transcripts… He's been raging on the discussion board on how you are 'taking advantage of KID's retirement' and that you're 'a talentless baboon with no creativity, no ideas of his own'." Ah yes, there it was, written as clear as day on Shinichi's phone.

"And yet, I was able to confirm that it was his idea to extend the invitation to you to perform…If he had really been as passionate about his 'hatred' for you, he wouldn't have even thought about inviting you to the show, no matter how much of a 'money making machine you are'."

"Ohh…no wonder the guy was such a prick" he managed to say after absorbing it all, collapsing into the sofa again, and placing his head on Shinichi's shoulder, who jerked slightly in surprise before returning to his original position, getting too used to Kaito's lack of personal boundaries. Though the magician deserved a freebie for what had transpired today.

"…Anyway, you know what I can't believe?"

"What?"

"…I still can't believe that you actually impersonated Kaitou KID just to get him to confess," Kaito quipped.

"Sorry about that," Shinichi said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I hope you're alright with it. I just couldn't think of any other plan more effective without risking your life…"

"No, no, I'm grateful. And flattered actually... I just didn't think that I'd managed to get you over to the dark side and turn you into a Magician so quickly~!"

 _Thank you._

"Oh, shut up." Shinichi proceeded to smack his cushion at Kaito.

 _You're welcome._

* * *

They left London with bittersweet feelings as they continued on their travels.

And, of course, Shinichi continued to document them on Instagram:

 _KudosforShinichi_ **MagicKaito #disappearingbull #injuredMagicKaito #betthatitwasnotintentional #redflag #angrybull #daredevil #KudoinBarcelona #Barcelona**

 _KudosforShinichi_ **MagicKaito #HappyBirthday #quarterlifecrisis #chocolate #chocolateaddict #chocolateparty #ConfiserieSprüngli #KudoinZurich #Zurich**

 _KudosforShinichi_ **MagicKaito #nevergivedovesbeerever #disappearingbeers #beer #enoughsaid #whenamagiciangwalksintoabar #KudoinMunich #Munich**

 _MagicKaito_ **KudosforShinichi #tooobsessedwithInstagram #toomanypictures #goingtomarryinstagram #Shinichisignoringme #StealingyourphoneShinichi**

Their journey took them to many countries in Europe, before it finally brought them to Moscow, the last pit stop on Kaito's tour.

They sunk further into the bean bags as the crowd dispersed at the end of the movie, soaking in the full moonlight illuminating the open air night cinema, enjoying the beautiful sight of the clear night sky above them now that their focus shifted away from the movie credits on the inflatable screen.

The event in London had propelled their relationship to the next level – Kaito couldn't help but snigger at that sentence, that had caused Shinichi to raise an eyebrow at him. _He really should stop making things sound so suggestive, even in his head, no matter how fun it was to throw it at Shinichi just to see the exasperation grimace on his face._

Regardless of how he phrased it, that episode did bring them closer as friends. Any reservations either side ever had had vanished. It was an easy, relaxing friendship that they now shared, where jokes were free-flowing without censorship – getting Shinichi flustered was a really great way to get the generally reserved detective out of his shell; and for Shinichi, who clearly enjoyed and was grateful for Kaito's unconditional friendship, had opened up to the Magician, letting him in on his thoughts without prejudice. And yet, Kaito knew that if he needed anything, the detective will be by his side, all ready to lend a helping hand.

It was a far cry from when he approached the detective in his depressing mansion far too vast for [him,] where Shinichi had brushed Kaito off, being far too trapped in his own problems to {recognise} the hand in friendship for what it was.

Such a drastic difference to the bond they now shared - as if they weren't strangers just a few months back.

It was everything he'd ever imagined a friendship with Kudo Shinichi would be – and much, much more.

"Kaito?" Shinichi asked softly, bringing Kaito out of his musing. "Now that your tour's over, I was wondering if we could head over to LA?"

"Of course, Shinichi. Of course."

* * *

The morning after a late brunch with Shinichi's parents, they were lounging around the rooftop garden of the Kudo couple's penthouse in Los Angeles.

Kudo Yuusaku was absorbed with his work, typing away ideas for his next novel on his laptop with Kudo Yukiko seated by his side, busy giggling and replying to messages on Twitter:

 _TheNightBaroness_ **_Breakfast with Shin-chan_ _and his little friend!_ #brunch #homecook #salmon #poachedegg \\(^.^)/** **StorytellerKudo KudosforShinichi MagicKaito**

The detective, seated opposite them, had been obsessing over more cat videos on Youtube since brunch ended (never knew Shinichi had such a soft spot for cats – the things he learned every day). Kaito had sat beside Shinichi on the two seater couch.

While leaning on Shinichi's shoulder to get a better look at the videos, the warm summer sun had lured Kaito to sleep, where he laid against the detective (and unintentionally drooled on his shirt).

Kaito had drifted to semi-consciousness some time later, when he caught snippets of the ongoing conversation.

"…It was a big relief to be able to get away, even if it was for a while. I never understood why you guys travel so much until I did it myself."

The low trombone of Kudo Yuusaku made it hard for Kaito to decipher the writer's response, though he could clearly hear the light soprano of Kudo Yukiko as she got more agitated.

"...Your father knew that you weren't prepared for it, our constant need to travel. We always regretted leaving you for those long stretches of time for the book tours and the editors, especially after what happened with..." Which was followed by a sob – oh no, he maybe shouldn't have listened in.

"Well, if that hadn't happened," Shinichi quickly interrupted, probably trying to stop the impending waterworks before it started. "I might have gotten into more trouble instead, and might not be alive today. So at the very least, I appreciate the lesson, no matter how harsh it was."

"Shin-chan…"

"Don't worry, Kaasan. If Conan never happened, I would have never had the chance to meet all my other friends, especially Kaito here…I regret nothing."

"Oh, my Shin-chan! All grown up!"

The fluttering in his heart bloomed upon hearing Shinichi's words - _was that happiness he was feeling?_ \- and let a soft smile slip onto his face before drifting back into slumber again.

* * *

Orange that bled into red as the sunset over the ocean cast a soft, warm hue on Kaito and Shinichi, who were lounging in the sand. They had spent the rest of their day at the beach, overlooking the whole stretch and enjoying the sea breeze in each other's quiet, comforting company.

"Thank you for accompanying me…" Shinichi said, speaking for the first time since they arrived at the beach.

"No, the pleasure's all mine..." _It really was._

"I never asked…. Why did you do it? Follow me on the trip, I mean?"

"I was just following my heart~" Because other than how that sentence had actually sounded, _that was the crux of the matter, wasn't it?_

"Kaito…"

"I am serious~. Gee Shin-chan, you know I've never lied to you before~." Kaito had taken to calling him that after hearing it from Shinichi's mother. Other than the fun at seeing Shinichi getting perturbed by that nickname, it made Shinichi more...approachable. _Definitely would do him some good, if more people were to start approaching him to be friends with him again._

"Ba'rou…I'll take you seriously when you stopping making things sound so suggestive," Shinichi replied deadpanned, before huffing and lying his back against the sand. There was a long stretch of silence before Shinichi said, "Kaito… thank you."

"It's alright...So, ready to go back?" Kaito asked with a whisper, and they both knew that he hadn't meant back to the penthouse. The question had been hanging ever since they landed in Los Angeles.

Shinichi turned to look at Kaito, staring at the magician as if he's searching for something in Kaito – _searching for support perhaps?_ Then, a soft smile graced his lips, before replying with conviction that told Kaito beyond the answer he's voicing out.

"Yes…. I am, ready to go back _Home_."

* * *

Owari

Note: That little mystery was rather anti-climactic, wasn't it? Haha.

Anyway, please review! Would love to know what you guys think about this fic. This has always beenthe plan for the fic, so i hope it meets your expectations.

On another note, I am glad that this monstrosity is finally DONE. It was supposed to be a one-shot in Shinichi's perspective but I cut it into two chapters for Poirot's competition– which kind of make it difficult to write the second chapter, especially when I decided to have it in Kaito's perspective. The fic was kind of completed two weeks ago, but some of the phrasing and scenes were a little off, so I went back to rework on it.

Hope you guys enjoyed this fic anyway!


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